Hollyleaf's time
by Dove's Quill
Summary: Hollyleaf has escaped from the tunnels and the clans... but for how long will she be half-crazed? And, what if one of her kits are the last 'three' instead of Dovekit or Ivykit? Stay tuned... This was started in June.
1. 1 Escape

Good luck to Midnight Star725, or Stealtheyes.

The ground shook above her and collapsed. Hollyleaf could barely hear her brothers' yells of protest.

She just wanted to die...die...die, the daughter of a Thunderclan medicine cat and a Windclan warrior. What a classic codebreaker. The large boulder she had beem staring at before fell on top of her, knocking out her shallow breath, making Hollyleaf move like a ragdoll on the ground. She didn't struggle.

She triangular head lay there, against the mud, blood trickling out her nose and a gash on her cheek. But why wasn't she suffocating? Dying? Her brothers yelled on.

Minutes later, it was silent, except for the small water falling through a gap in the walls, a background sound. Her eye-lids were drooping, nearly drifting to unconscienceness, until...

It hit her again- another rock, this time on her thigh. A large cracking noise indicated that it was broken. This was more than enough to get her attention.

She whimpered, and writhed in agony, but then held it back. The pain was staggeringly soaring... but not as much as her anger and betrayal.

_Leafpool. Leafpool did this to me, she thought, enraged. I hate her. I hate her! _A picture of Leafpool's face made her see it red, but not the anger, but the blood._I want to kill..... rip out her throat.... feel her cold blood run down my hideous paws. I'm nothing anyway. Killing Ashfur... I don't regret that. Betrayal. Squirrelfight, the rotten liar._ A weak gurgle of a growl erupted from her throat.

"Stop." Suddenly, all the pain was gone, so fast that for one second she thought that she sas dead. How? Looking up, with relief, Hollyleaf found that it wasn't that cat. _I wouldn't want her to see me like this... _but the cat was extraordinarily similar. Same coat, same structure, but with many battle scars and an awkward leg... Hollyleaf knew who she was, now, as she had heard many tales of her from her own grandfather's toungue...

"Hollyleaf, don't do this," Cinderpelt pled.

"Why are you here? Aren't I banished from Starclan? For all I've done?" _They need to punish me... so they can punish Leafpool! _Healed with new crimson fury, Hollyleaf turned back to half-crazed and spat at the surprised former medicine cat. She turned tail and bolted out of a random tunnel, and a part of her noticed her leg, which was better.

Windclan burned her nostrils. A light brown silhouette was seen in the black. Without her seeing her, or even thinking, Hollyleaf pounced.

"Arg!" Heathertail's cry was cut off. Hollyleaf planted her teeth, sharp and tilted, half-way in the young warrior's throat. _Spread the pain...the hate...._an evil voice in her head told her. She blissfully agreed. No cat could think to resist doing so. Mud and blood spattered on the ground, dapples on the dry grass of the moors, and the woodland and praire animals that had heard their fray scampered off. Leaves russled in the background, and the moon was alone in the night sky.

Yowls and many screams that held excrutiating pain. All of that came from Heathertail, and growls came from Hollyleaf as she worked to make this as painful as possible. She didn't want to kill her... yet...

Surely no cat can hear this. The caves were far from either clan territories.

Heathertail's pelt running red, she spun around weakly to face her match. Her assult stopped abruptly as she took in the sight of Hollyleaf's face. At first Hollyleaf thought that the hesitation was because she was Lionblaze's sister, but then she saw her reflection in Heathertail's wide blue eyes, prettiness the same level of terror. A stranger, mud smeared on the dark fur underneath, and dark jade eyes, dark and murderous, with anger too much for both the victim and herself. Too painful. Too mad.

She jumped off and hissed, "I'll be coming back sooner than I intend!" before she could stop herself or even reason. As she loped, the same malicious voise told her that she would be coming back for Crowfeather.

At her state now, she sneered. Leafpool can suffer... and wait along the way. All to make it as bad as possible.

Hollyleaf chuckled, a black and insane sonud, still running away from the lake... the clans... the cats... her kin... her life.

...................................

"Hollyleaf? Hollyleaf?" Shocked murmurs erupted from the Thunderclan clearing.

"Yes," snarled Onestar, Hollyleaf just ambushed Heathertail last night. The brown she-cat nodded, but bery awkwardly, as the cobwebs restrained her to do so. Lionblaze, with his brother, who was bristling with the news, had his narrowed amber gaze on her back.

Then the Windclan leader turned to the Thunderclan. "Do you know about this?" he snapped. Firestar opened his mouth, but before he could do anything, Jayfeather whispered and stammered at the same time, "She... she's alive?"

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I got the origonal back! :)


	2. 2 Anything for Nothing Else than Life

Author's note: A person asked how old I was, and well, I am 12, but in 9 months, I will be 13, so close enough, and I have to ask my parents if I could go online, as I usually write it out first. My eyesight is pretty bad already, so the reason that there is so many typos is that I am trying to spare my eyes by not really looking at the screen and rushing. Oh well, at least my readers get what the mistyped word is... right?

BY THE WAY, THE NEW ACCOUNT FOR LAKEMOSS IS Dorsi's Quill, BUT GET USED TO IT, I CHANGE MT USERNAME ALOT...

Hollyleaf tore through the Windclan territories. She didn't care that she was in their terriry or that she was leaving a trail... yet. Fur sagged on branches and she blindly trampled through the undergrowth. The stingy Windclan scent got fainter...fainter... until when she made a huge leap across the ground. As she stealthily landed on two paws, absorbing all the impact, the smell of Windclan, cats, or any of her old life was gone.

She wasn't Hollyleaf, faithful Thunderclan warrior, all into keeping life and the code, anymore, but she was Hollyleaf, a troublesome rougue that was foul in every roguish way. She had left behind Hollyleaf, herself, though she was always in there, but just dormant. She was crazed .

Hollyleaf slumped down the ground after a full day of running away from all she really knew. They won't find me here! ( Don't worry, she isn't paranoid.. yet) and slept without any food for who-knows-how-many-hours.

When she woke up the next morning, Hollyleaf was still not rational enough to really do anything but sit there under the comforting shade of an oak and arrange her thoughts. Her stomach growled hungrily, but she kind of noticed it. In fact, Hollyleaf knew that she couldn't notice anything outside her head, but she didn't fight her stupor.

It was like this day after day, until she rasped, "Leafpool", in a hollow but deadly voice. She just barely noticed her thirst. Barely, but she did. Hollyleaf ambled nonchalantly to the nearest puddle. She closed her eyes as she drank; she didn't want to see her reflection: torn, bloody, confused, pretty insane, evil, a monstrosity, muddy... but worst of all, her own eyes. They were the only things that held her turmoil inside. I don't think that any cat would want to to see those anymore. A small breeze swept across the land. Mouse. In spite of herself, she drooled.

Well, I can't plot evilly with an empty stomach. As Hollylwaf crouched, her tensed muscules crying with protest, her temporary madness was lifted by the feel of the hunt. Familiar emotions filled Hollyleaf. Pride, excitement, happiness, normality... she pounced on her prey.

Like always, she got it like a true warrior. Icy claws ripped her from the inside. But I'm not a true warrior. I never was and I never will be! Hollyleaf gobbled down the rest of her prey in swift, ravenous bites, but her belly still wasn't full. Even when she didn't eat for 2 days straight, it was very odd. By the end of her progressive day, she had eaten 3 mice, a songbird, 2 voles, and had lapped up a whole puddle and chewed on random grasses with dew now and then.

..........................................

"Lionblaze, we have to get her!" yowled Jayfeather, clawing at his brother viciously with unsheathed claws. He leapt away suddenly. "If you won't help me, I'll retrieve her myself!" he spat. (Well, think of him the gorge that Hollyleaf jumped over) "Jayfeather," Lionblaze spoke calmly, but he was shakily, as he, too, wanted to go, but," let her cool down. Besides, she didn't come back, and we shouldn't force her."

Jayfeather too even and deep breaths. His gray flank rose and fell. "You're right. At least we know that she's alive."  
"But does she want to be? Is she hurt?" fretted Lionblaze, staring at the stars. Starclan, give me an answer! They were by the cliff, pulling grass, and the moonlit clearing stood before them. Have they abandoned us? I hope not. "She was well enough to attack and win," his brother, sightless looking at the sky, too, pointed out. "Well, may Starclan light your path, Hollyleaf," muttered Lionblaze. Then Jayfeather added, too low for his brother's golden ears, "But does she want them to?"


	3. 3 Realization

Author's note: hi.

ON WITH THE STORY

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Hollyleaf flicked her ears with annoyance. Something was wrong here. Her hunting skill had been deterioating for the last moon. She had slept longer and had always passed out somehow. She had thrown up at least 3 times, and her menustariy cycle wouldn't start.

Something was definately wrong.

And Hollyleaf knew what it was.

In the middle of lashing her tail for losing her prey for the 6th time, Hollyleaf stopped. A dead cold swept down her flank... to her toes... nose... and tail tip.

Yes, she knew what it was.

She was expecting.

Hollyleaf recalled her times as a medicine cat randomly. She may have not been good at it, but she had learnt some useful stuff, at least.

_"Now," Leafpool (this made her bare her teath in reality but ignored it, too intent on her memory), "Daisy is expecting kits. But do you know how I know?"_

_Hollyleaf had shaken her head vigorously, so vigorously that she was dizzy._

_"Well," the medicine cat continued," first, she has morning sickness. Then, Daisy will get, well, sort of lazier, and her normal schedual will be messed with. And, there will, of course, be no menustary cycle."_

_"But what is morning sickness?" Hollypaw had butted._

_"Well, you get sick, and dizzy. But we are medicine cats, and we can't have kits." Something had flashed in her former mentor and mother's eyes at that. Hollypaw had looked confused, but then Leafpool rushed on, "oh, and queens puke sometimes."_

Leafpool had said other things about how to take care of queens... but she was alone. Completely alone.

_Alone._

_...................................._

"Please," Jayfeather begged the stars above, "show me something..."

The skies had no answer in their grasps. Something stirred on his right, Jayfeather could pick out.

"Hey," came his brother's voice. Jayfeather twitched his tail in greeting. He didn't think that he could do anything besides that tonight. He was too bothered.

Before his brother could say anything else, Jayfeather leapt off the edge and streaked to Leafpool's den. His den.

...........................................

Hollyleaf paced worriedly. First, WHO'S kits were she expecting? She hadn't mated with anyone, to her thoughts, but then, she was close to Mousewhisker.

Sighing, she said out loud with a bitter tone, "At least he is in Thunderclan." But then, in realization, she remembered that he was from the horseplace. Hollyleaf tore her head up and cried with fustration. The cry sent echos down the forest, and leaves ruffled at the break. Suddenly, a bird was fallen from a tree. A baby bird.

It writhed and tried to get back up while Hollyleaf just watched._ Where is her parent_? She waited for them. Surely they would come. It was the code! But they never did.

Then she walked to the bird and carried it to its nest.


	4. 4 Emerald, Hollyleaf

Author's note: I got a name in mind, but if you submit something that I like, I might use it.

......................................

Hollyleaf trudged through the high grasses. She flinched as a starling took off into the night. Starlingkit is a nice name, she thought. But Hollyleaf now had a new anxiety to add to her list: the kits. Will they survive? Will she take care of them? She needed to to something to help.... something that will be... completely... in in code, she guessed, as they were kits, and warriors have to help kits. To an extent? Hollyleaf wasn't sure.

She could feel their bodies in her. Two.

She struggled on.

After midnight, there was a gleam in it. A big gleam. A twoleg house. Gulping and swallowing, she did something that shamed her..._ I will regret it late, I suppose._

Hollyleaf mewed loudly until they came. The twolegs, that is.

..............................................

Jayfeather was sleeping soundly. Starclan would surely come to his dreams in MOONPOOL. They had no chance not to. They _had _to. Sure enough, a blue furred figure made her way to him. They sat and stared-glared in Jayfeather's case- at each other. Finally, she broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Jayfeather." He bared his teeth and growled, ignoring the greeting and apology.

"Where's Hollyleaf, Bluestar, she isn't in Starclan, so in somewhere else?" Bluestar dipped her head and repeated what she said. Then, she vanished. He stood there for some time, then broke into a loud ruckus of puffed fur and yowling. Suddenly, Spottedleaf appeared. She flanked him soothingly, but he just backed away, narrowing his eyes. Saying nothing, she gestured for him to follow her.

He did, and they went to a small puddle on the floor.

His sister was in it, covered with a fluffy black thing in the most comfiest nest he had ever laid eyes upon. She slept serenely but her mouth was turned down. Something was worring her. But that wasn't really the point right now. She was safe, and Jayfeather was assured, and he would get a sound sleep for nights to come.

"Good night, Hollyleaf, I hope we meet again." Then he drifted to his night calmly. She was safe.

.........................................

"**_Here you go, pretty Emerald, yes you are! Yes you are!"_**

**_"EMERALD!!!" _**The stupid twoleg kit hugged Hollyleaf to a point where she couldn't take it. She had had enough. Hollyleaf watched the adult twoleg with wary eyes, waiting for her to open the door. To the wilderness.

_Ok, I did regret it. _


	5. 5 The barn cats

The moment the twoleg opened the door, Hollyleaf clawed at the sick kit. It yowled in pain, and the adults went over to her.

_Good._

Hollyleaf took that distraction as her advantage and leapt to the gap. Nearly there... freedom! The food was disgusting, anyway.

But then, sickening terror swiped at ther stomach, along with the kits. Now what?

There was a small barn far from the house. SHe knew that. Hollyleaf had even passes it in her journey.

So, very recently, she had smelled some markers near it. Maybe there were cats there. Perhaps they could help. So, taking that chance, Hollyleaf darted in the directing of the smokey gray silhouette in the wind.

"Huff... huff..." Hollyleaf couldn't go any further. She wasn't gigantic, like Whitewing was, yet, but still, she was wiped out. What did that mean? Were her kits unhealthy? Hollyleaf lay there, on the grass. The stars shone above, and she shut her eyes. Calm... calm.....

"YEE-OWW!" Hollyleaf jumped. There was nothing but the cool night's air upon her, but then suddenly, there had been a snuffling, a gasp, and a prod from what destinctly felt like a paw.

"Pine Cone! It's a cat!" She heard a tom's voice. To sound tough, she tried to get up, failed, and mewed harshly, "Of course, genious."

Pine Cone, who the tom signaled, Hollyleaf guessed, came by, feet rushing past the grasses.

"Oh, my, Houstie!" sang a shrill but not unpleasant she-cat's voice. "Come on, let's get her..." And then Hollyleaf blacked out.

.......................................

Hollyleaf forced her lids, heavy with sleep, open. It was warm, the sun shining through the gaps, and hay bundles were around her. There was a homely smell and the delicious scent of mouse. Hollyleaf wrenched her body up. Her ears pricked at something that sounded like a whisper. Around her, to her surprise, were 5 cats.

Acting on instinct, Hollyleaf sat upright and her tail curved over her paws and belly protectively. The cats shared a wary look, and the largest, stepped forward.

"Greetings, I am Shrubs, and this is Pine Cone, Rosebush, Houstie, and Pale." Pale, the smallest, added, "The white pale, not the pail. " And Hollyleaf didn't know the slightest what a 'pail' was.

The barn cats seemed to be waiting for her introduction. Hollyleaf stammered, "He-ello, I am Hollyleaf, and a queen..."

Rosebush purred and went around her. Hollyleaf didn't shrink back. "I am, too. No worries. We can take care of you if you want." Houstie's tail twitched, but didn't do anything. She studied their faces, and said slowly, "I would like that very much, but I have to move on. Thank you for your hospitality." Then, Shrubs threw a mouse at her.

"Help yourself. It's fine."

Hollyleaf stared at them, flicked her tail, and dug in.


	6. 6 Don't let them, Jayfeather,

Author's note: I'm in here.

................................

The gray tabby tom found himself not in the barran lands of Starclan, but in a landscape that he did not recognize. Light filtered through the dark clouds above, and Jayfeather was perplexed. Why was he here, and where is here？

But then there was a shadow coming his way. Hollyleaf. Jayfeather's heart sang in his chest ,and he was running full out towards his sister.

Hollyleaf didn't do anything, nor did she show any sign of his indication. Did she notice him? He stood aside as his sister passed _through_him. His heart sank, then started beating even faster. Something was going to happen. This was a vision.

Chest thumping with an irregular rhythm, he followed Hollyleaf. Her head was faced down, and wear was the most pronouned feature in her body. The second was worry. Her green eyes didn't sparkle with life or thinking that was usually there in her gaze. There was nothing, nothing but tiredness.

Suddenly, with no warning what so ever, a yowl sounded in the night. Beat thumping, Jayfeather watched hopelessly was his sister was tackled full force by a fox. Something snapped. Crunching and ripping of flesh sounded in the night... Jayfeather couldn't watch, but he glimpsed shinning red against the darkness.... his heart stopped....

.....and then he was in Starclan grounds.

"Bluestar? Cinderpelt? Spottedleaf, Yellowfang?" Jayfeather wailed into the darkness. Nothing. There were no answers in the hazy plains. His tail lashed in frustration and anxiety. Where were they?

A murky shape was then in the lands before him. Jayfeather squinted his eyes. It was Cinderpelt, and her tail, unlike his angry and worried active one, was drooping in dispare.

"I did the right thig," she murmered, and, 'Jayfeather. You _must _stop Heathertail and Breezepelt become mates." The words gave him a hard knock in the stomach, a big blow of air came out his lungs, he started, and his eyes were huge with confusion. What did that have do do with anything? His tail stopped twitching.

"I know you know nothing, but you MUST stop them, or the scene you saw is going to happen..." Cinderpelt said as if she didn't see him hyperventilate and cock his head, and then she vanished. He was very annoyed. Did Starclan just give them these tricky clues just to irk them? And he was tired of everyone telling him what he MUST do. He didn't know what they were blabbering about, prophecies...

But he knew this: he had to stop them, Heathertail and Breezepelt, no matter how.

Though Jayfeather never knew the costs.


	7. 7 Leafpool?

I hope that Midnight star725, or Stealtheyes, will have a good Hollyleaf story too, and that she will have a different plot. The only thing she sould do is assure me that, as doing near-same stories are one of the worst things that can happen to an author in Fanfiction. This incidence is making me sort of depressed... you might find it rubbing off in the story, and I will try to hide it. But what happened in this chapter is what I thought about yesterday.......

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An early bird woke Hollyleaf up with the melody of her song. The sun was bright, a disk in the azure sky.

Bare trees and bushes, ice and snow perching on the branches, swayed as a slight gale swept through the lands that Hollyleaf had traveled to since her departure from the cats that lived in a barn, and ruffled her fur the wrong way. Small and light clouds, nearly wisps, dotted the sky to the horizon, a curved line of aqua blue. The white grounds were marked with paw-prints as Hollyleaf stretched and padded up to get a drink of the river nearby.

(Am I over describing?)

Small ripples formed as another breeze came. As Hollyleaf walked to the water source, crushing reeds on the way, she might add, the bird stopped its singing. The only sound left was the squelch of her feet, the rubbing the spruces made, and the lone frog that croaked annoyingly. After her drink, Hollyleaf lifted her nose to taste the air.

She wasn't a Shadowclan cat, but toads were considered delicacies at this moment. Something squirmed. She realized that it was her, inside her, to be exact.

But right now, Hollyleaf could only focus on the sweet scent of prey in the lush overgrowth of the river's edge. Hollyleaf spotted a sandy colored thing, half covered in the grasses. Shrew. Hollyleaf gathered her haunches, and-

A sudden gust of wind, carring snowflakes off the ground, blew from behind. The shrew squeaked as her smell registered in the shrew's tiny brain, and scampered off, dirt flying in the air.

"Mouse du-" but then, Hollyleaf realized something, startling her. Not only did the air carry her scent, but it carried the scent of a smell similar to- "_Leafpool!"_

The light brown tabby's familiar coat came to view as Hollyleaf whipped around. Big amberish eyes burned her pelt.

A growl, feroucious and screaming 'danger' started through her chest. _This is your chance..._ purred the same, long-dormant voice that she had meet when she encountered Heathertail at the borders.

Leafpool was about to do something, but Hollyleaf already pounced. Air whistled past her ears, plastered to her skull. Claws, razor sharp and unsheatherd, pointed forward, wanting to tear flesh. Her own body arched, and her mouth exposed glistening teeth, snarls through them, jaws open for the neck.....

Leafpool suddenly ducked and rolled. _How did she do that? Well, I guess that loner lifer toughens you up. _She sprinted flat out to where she came from in the first place, tail trailing behind, puffed out.

Hollyleaf skidded, claws uprooting grass, and followed her mother in a run.

Leafpool was far ahead, but she was gaining. After all, who was the lithe, powerful, and graduated warrior here?

But she wasn't any more. Desolation hit Hollyleaf with enough strength to cripple her any other day, and it almost made her lose pace. It won, to an extent- she staggered.

Hollyleaf was sad, no, wait, more than sad. Miserable and hungry for other's pain. She was a rougue queen. A pathetic, filthy, rougue queen. She was getting closer. _Go... go..._ chanted the voice. Just close enough to pounce.

"Die!" Hollyleaf whispered menacingly. Her claws reached Leafpool's flank. Her past mentor and kin keeled over to a stop, and yowled with excruitiating pain as Hollyleaf drew her paw down, making Leafpool's flank's skin blossom with blood.

Hollyleaf purred and stared at Leafpool's face, ragged with agony. Her eyes were narrowed with her wound, and her mouth was yowling silently.

But something was wrong.

This cat's eyes were yellow.


	8. 8 Found the one

"What did you do that fo-" The cat screeched in a tom tone, hidden in the coughing in his rough throat, coarse with blood, but gurgled off at the end. He writhed in pain as he choked. She could hear the bubbles of blood and his flesh rubbing unevenly together.

_What have I done? _She thought the same time the voice's crackling broke off as it realized that it was not Leafpool, and the same for when it muttered, _Oops. Wrong one._

How could it be so heartless? Was it her? But no time to ponder.

Hollyleaf stammered something unintelligible and backed away shakily from the Leafpool-like cat. Why did she just do that? What kind of monster had she became? Then the medicine cat training kicked in.

"Try to stay still," she ordered and racd to get some cobwebs. She had used some for her den, and she knew where a big stash was, and it was not far away, thank Starclan. The tom stayed still and closed his dark yellow, nearly amber, eyes. The smell, the shape, the coat, the eyes...So alike in many ways! They could have been littermates, for all she knew. Maybe they were. But he looked too young, as young as her. Too young to die, to have his life cut off by some crazy she-cat eager for revenge that had nothing ot do with him.

She was so sure that it was her! The traitor! But this cat was innocent. There was no excuse for it. Hurting him was completely against the code.

Hollyleaf finally made her way to the shade of an oak tree. She carelessly ripped out a bundle, spiders hanging off, some falling. _Fallingkit_. What was wrong with her? A cat that _she attacked _was deteriorating and drifting away, and she was thinking _kit names? Ugh!_

She got back to the tom, who was breathing deeply. _This is a smart tom!_

Hollyleaf hurridly but gently and smoothly padded the bandages on his pelt, where the blood was beginning to crack. The snow was stained red, but she hadn't dug too deep in his skin. Hollyleaf, the ingenious when things get serious, was... serious. So, she was finished with him due to her intelligence with a clear mind, and slowly and rhythmically cleaned his fur. The loner's sweet scent washed over her. He sighed. _How could he be content when he's in this state? And why is he sweet to me? Should all loners be smelling like that, or is he just a escaped kittypet?_

But, she didn't know why, Hollyleaf was suddenly enjoying the momet. So insane. So lovely a thing.

Both cats drifted off to sleep.

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So, I know, but Hollyleaf just needs that special someone.

~Dorsi


	9. 9 Coves

**Ok, since I think that all the other chaptes were too short, I'll make this and all the future chapters longer. **

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Hollyleaf was calm, calmer than she ever was in all the time she had run off to be a rougue. Why? She thought it was because the tom so alike her traitor mother was beside her. The tom that had paid for her faults. The tom that lay there, as happy and serene as she was. But this was too blissful. She had to make the feelings go away. She couldn't consentrate on reality like this.

Hollyleaf forced her eyelids open, which were, unlike all the other days, not encrusted with sleep and sand. Yesterday she was too much fiddling and twitching while having a very life-like dream of Windclan smelling cats attack her brothers with other Thunderclans, she recognised Hazeltail, Mousewhisker, and Cinderheart. She involunterily shivered, and she felt something warm react to itThe WIndclan cats had set foxes on them , and some ran to where she ran first.

The skies were red and the sun was barely visible. Snuffling was made out in the undergrowth, but farther away. Crickets chirped and the lone frog was still doing his 'ribbiting'. She moved her head and saw the face of the tom beside her, taking even breaths, deep and soothing, peaceful, that showed a good night's (or days, in their case) sleep. Hollyleaf tried to nudge her way away, to let him go on napping.

The moment she pulled away, the tom's eyes flashed open. His light amber, or dark yellow, eyes were confused until thet met hers. The two cats stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

Then he asked in a low voice, "Who.. are... you...?"

Suddenly, Hollyleaf had the urge to tease him.

"Do you really expect a rougue to answer to that without your own name?" she purred. Then Hollyleaf abruptly stopped. Wht lunatic business was she up to? There seemed to be a natural tinge in her behaviour, and it vaguely reminded her of Lionblaze and Heathertail.... in the caves as apprentices, she meant. The looks they given each other, the playfulness, the ease... but now the only looks they give each other is the deepest of loathing and the wish of a painful death. She wondered randomly what went wronng until the kittypet interupted her thoughts.

"Oh, and you don't think that Ｉam a rougue myself?" he teased back, beginning to purr.

Hollyleaf sniffed. "Well, your smell kind of makes you smell like one." Then she was embarrased.

He was shocked. "You think I stink?" He cocked his head, then winced. "Fine, since we're (Hollyleaf's heart missed a beat at the 'we're, no idea why, at her part) skipping the normal ways of greeting, then why did you attack me? I know that some cats get very territorial, but..." he trailed off then looked into the evening.

"You just remind me of someone I knew... hate..." Hollyleaf growled. Then she wondered on his expression. Not too calm, showing he's hiding something, nothing to weird... so she wasn't scaring him... unless he remembers her visciousness in the morning. She eyed his muscules. "Hey, you look tough, why didn't you fight back? I mean... (Hollyleaf motioned his leg, which was lithe looking) you could beat me to pulp any time."

"But I wouldn't, as you are a lady, and it is courteous not to attack one, not to mention pretty she-cats like yourself." His manner surprised her. Too nice to be a rougue...

"Well, nice excuse," and she pretended to roll her eyes while her heart thumped at the pretty she-cats bit.

"Are you going to introduce yourself now?"

"The rules are, the questioner has to do what he questions of his subject," she made up.

"Fine. I am Coveｓ, and you are...?" he butted her shoulder softly, with an edge of something to the bump. Must be trying to be soft on his wound, she thought.

"Holly. But, it's really Hollyleaf." Hollyleaf just didn't want anything... too weird.

"Hollyleaf is nice enough," he whispered in her ear.

"R-right." There was nothing else to do now. What to do? She didn't want to leave Coveｓ... And when she saw his gaze fixed on her, it was as if he felt the same. There was like a magnetism.... some related force...

Hollyleaf realized what it was. She saw it played again and again in her clan and elsewhere.

It was love.　The two cats snuggled with each other.

"Hollyleaf.... Ｉ．．．　ｗｉｌｌ．．．． you be my mate?"

There was defening silence, then, a simple thing that changed the silence to august and love. "Yes."

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Ok, this might be too crazy for you, but she DESERVES someone... I ｇｕｅｓｓ．．．

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"Come one, Coves, you can't do anything until the cut (wince) is thoroughly healed," Hollyleaf mewed to her new mate as he tried to get up, pushing against his good shoulder.

He stiffened, then relaxed and settled down. "Yeah, but I just wanted to look tough to you, Hollyleaf,"

"If you get up, you would look more idiotic and foolish to me."

He blinked, 'mrrr'ed in amusement, and licked her cheek. "Yeah, well, that works too."

Hollyleaf chuckled and curled up against him for a moment, then went off hunting. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. So much had happened in so short a time. She had gotten her sole mate, and had actually had something to look forward to every time she was about to open her eyes every new day.

Land, so alike Thunderclan's, began to appear. Good thing, too, as Hollyleaf didn't hunt well in toher places. Part Windclan or not, she didn't like the moors one bit. She guessed that it was a learned trait, likeing things. Not like ravens or crows... grr. Crowfeather.

But something bothered her. The kits. Will he get mad at her and leave, or does he love her enough to not? They had only met yesterday, while she was ATTACKING him... or will she mate him, and pretend to have his kits, and also pretend to have them early, like Squirrelflight? Venom dropped on her thoughts when she got to that part.

But nothing really mattered when she was around Coves. His light tabby fur was scattered by the place where the snow ran red. There were three sets of paw prints. Three? It was smaller, and it was... a shrew. That shrew. Wow, like the time in the morning, she tasted the air. Deija vu. Creepy.

A flock of geese flew above her, 'kawing'. Opening her eyes, she saw that there was a young one with the 'V' shape, at the very edge, the end, and the nearest.

_Sorry, little fella._

Leaping on a branch and to another, until she had a good distance from it, Hollyleaf leapt, killing the thing in a swift bite. _No excess harm done_.

The horizon darkened to a arch of black and the sky turned full violet. Stars twinkled, and as always, Hollyleaf looked away. No reminders. Ever. Thsi hurt about her past life gnawed on her from inside. Jayfeather and Lioblaze, her beloved sibling, who have all shared everything, adventures, times of need, secrets... my mush she be the odd one out?

But Coves needed her, and he would be worrying. Hollyleaf had chosen to shun the clans anyway.

_No excess harm done_.

******************

That was kind of cheesy, but... oh well.


	10. 10 Jayfeather's Dream

Jayfeather was confused. Very. Stop Heathertail and Breezepelt from becoming mates? Was Starclan so bored that they wanted to spook him out? Right. Nice.

But from Cinderpelt's expressions, it was serious. Not even they could act _that _well. So, there was something big up. He wondered what. Then, an idea out of the blue hit him.

_I could find out in my dreams! (**You're soooo smart, Jayfeather. And I don't get sarcasm. Am I sarcastic or not? We (including myself) can never find out) **_

Checking the sky for any sign like he always did, Jayfeather crawled to his den for investigation.

****morning*****

Jayfeather gasped, sitting bolt upright, breath coming in shallow. He scrambled to his paws urgently as he aimed for the entrance of the camp. _Starclan, make me not too late!_

This is what he saw:

"Breezepelt," Heathertail said in a dull monotone, and you couldn't tell if she was trying to please the black furred tom, "is Onestar back from the patrol?" thin pink lines where Hollyleaf had striked her sunrises ago were nearly healed, and her usually pretty pale coat was, though in good order, not a friendly sight. Her once beautiful eyes were darker somehow, and though they appeared the same as always, the eyes were not as alive as they were moons ago.

Breezepelt nodded and muzzled her, and she did it half-heartedly. He seemed satisfied enough that she didn't treat him that differently than all the other clan members when his half-sister revealed that he had kin in Thunderclan, the most dirty blooded clan in the forest, other than Shadowclan.

"Good," Heathertail sniffed and strolled out without another word to her not-yet mate. Her tail twitched as she saw Onestar's light pelt appear in the bushes. She padded up to him.

"Onestar," she began, but he silenced her with a flick of his tail.

"Now what," he growled. She was used to his hostality all through her life, so, yeah.

'I need to talk to you in private," she nodded to his den. The leader sighed and waved off the warriors behind him. Bodyguards. The two cats went to the opening and entered. BEfore he could say anything, she blurted, "I have an idea to invade Thunderclan."

"Thunderclan?" he mewed, but she could see that he was considering it, though she didn't say anything else. Maybe he just wanted to have an excuse to attack, the excuse of a young warrior saying it. But that would just make him look weak to the other clans, that the leader has to be advised and ordered by youngsters, and that he couldn't control them. After all, they had no reason to attack. Yet.

"I heard that there was a whole family of foxes al-"

"FOXES!?" Onestar bellowed, outraged. "HOW DARE YOU SAY FOXES! WE AREN'T RISKING OUR CATS TO ATTACK THUNDERCLAN BY PLAYING WITH FOXES! THEY ARE UNPREDICTABLE!"

"-ong the borders by the trees." she continued.

"And who would get them?" he hissed, as the guards' shadows were close to the den.

"Breezepelt and I."**_ (At this bit, Jayfeather read in her mind that if she became his mate, then they would go and get them, and that their plan would backfire and a fox would meet Hollyleaf)_**

"Heathertail, " Onestar sighed, to his rare kind self that was alive in the old forest, 'I know that you don't like Thunderclan, but we need you. You are one of our warriors. Windclan won't greive for you soon. And why would you drag Breezepelt into this mess?"

"Because we will succeed and conqure their lands. Isn't that why we were squirrel hunting?" she challenged.

'Well, yes, but, the need to risk so much..." he paused. "Alright, I will think about it."

"That is all I need. Sense will come to you sooner or later, and when that happens, _appc reothel comrecic_," mewed Heathertail and exited the den, leaving the leader outstounded by her words.


	11. 11 Toadpaw, Hollyleaf's Dream

"Toadpaw! Rosepaw! Toadpaw! Rosepaw!" Jayfeather heard the clan chant. He could sense the apprentices' pride and excitement as Thunderclan ended their ovation. With a heave of a breath, he reminded himself that he now had an apprentice.... unfortunately Toadpaw.

Dust swerved and floated as the young tom bounced his way to Jayfeather. Lionblaze, next to him, murmured congratulations and watched Birchfall with slight envy as he addressed Rosepaw to basic apprentice things that mentors usually tell them on the first day after the ceremony; like when they were doing things, the daily schedule, where to find the best moss, stuff like that.

"So, Jayfeather! I'm so excited! What are we doing first? Huh? Huh? Huh?" he prodded enthusiastically. Jayfeather was on the edge of hissing as flattening his ears, but somehow, he restrained himself and contented with a low growl. Lionblaze turned and chuckled at his annoyed expression. It took a lot of effort in his part, but trust his brother to sense his annoyance and come to the rescue by discracting him.

'Well, see you, Jayfeather, I'm just going to play with Graystripes' kits. Hopefully if they like me enough, then I would get to mentor them," his brother joked. _Hollyleaf would have liked to be one. _But the chances were slim. There were other more experienced cats, like Berrynose and his siblings, that had not yet had an apprentice. This distraction was not enough to wipe out Hollyleaf from his mind. He just missed her so much, he guessed to himself.

"Good luck with that," Jayfeather sighed, trying _very _hard to ignore the blabbing _kit _next to him, totally unaware of his inattention, or at least not caring or used to his not noticing.

He strolled all the way to his den with Toadpaw at his heels, practically skipping. He stared at the deathberries half-wrapped in a leaf and the shoots of yarrow and some other plants for Whitewing.

"Ohhhhhh, I know that, that is comfrey, you know, I saw Cinderheart, very unlucky.... Oh! And that is yarrow! It's disgusting, the others say, and I saw your tail twitch to its direction every time you get annoyed... and that is borage! I remember Daisy eating then when I was very young......OH, what is that DELICIOUS scent?! So that must be catmint! Brairkit once quoted,

"'Though I was sick and weak, I could seriously appreciate the taste of fresh catmint. Not only does it heal me, but it calms my mind and intoxicates my head with the aroma of its sweetness divine. I owe Lionblaze my life.' (As said by Brairkit in MY story. I'm trying to do poetry.... am I good? Remember, I am still young! I could work on it! )

"She tried to speak 'smartly'. And.... that there is juniper, I sure got a lot of stomach aches.... " the young tom trailed off as he saw that Jayfeather was just staring at him with cold eyes, perhaps waiting for him to stop blabbering.

_Despite the irritation within, this was a good apprentice, nice memory_, he thought.

Toadpaw shuffled his paws in Jayfeather's perpetual vision. _Good. He's nervous. _

_"_Jayfeather? Did I get them right?" there was a new edge to his mew. _Uncertainty._

"Sure," He said dully, and though unenthusiastic as it was, Toadpaw brightened up. _But your stance tells me that there is something else to it.... your tail is crooked in one way and your whiskers are quivering, with your front paws parted.... that means that there is some heavy weight in your body.... or mind heart. _

Jayfeather decided to check on him in his sleep. He didn't want to raise suspicion. Not now.

"Let's introduce you to the other apprentices, Icepaw and Foxpaw," meowed Jayfeather encouragingly. Toadpaw leapt to his feet, all the weariness forgotten.

"OK!" he scampered off in the direction to his sister and Icepaw. _The old apprentices won't last, then they would get lonely, though it is no difference for Toadpaw and his company, as he is as isolated as me, the useless BLIND medicine cat. How can I be MORE different than I already am? _He thought bitterly. _But Millie's kits will be old enough in a moon or so, _he added for something good to think about, though the thought still stayed, no matter how hard he tried to get it out.

He felt a swoosh of wind and crouched defensively, then a half-second later, staightened as he realized that it was just his brother.

"Having fun?" he asked mildly.

" I wish," Jayfeather replied, and his annoyance broke through; the ears went flat to his skull.

"Just don't get anyone else catch you like that. He's coming over now," advised and warned his brother, and Jayfeather hissed in defiance.

"I know that! Do you think I'm completely USELESS or something?" Lionblaze took a while. _Perhaps he's thinking as he blinks. I could tell as he always does the tail swishing thing. _The despise of being blind went away long ago, but it still came back frequently when the others treat him like a kit. The previous though came back to him. _The old apprentices won't last, then they would get lonely, though it is no difference for Toadpaw and his company, as he is as isolated as me, the useless BLIND medicine cat. How can I be MORE different than I already am?_ The last bit of his thought came back. _As isolated as me, the useless BLIND medicine cat. How can I be MORE different than I already am?_

Could he change that all by being nicer?

"Of course not," and he slinked away when Toadpaw ran back. _Mousedung! He sensed my emotions. I have to keep them off my face.... (**Like how I do it, Dovepaw, and I am as good as him at figuring stuff out... I used one of the easiest things I had to figure out in human nature and secrets. Like the Toadpaw problem.)**_

Jayfeather sighed. He wasn't going to get away from him. Not yet.

*************************

A shadow swept through the woods agilely. The silhouette was carrying a lumpy mesh of things. Hollyleaf huffed with real effort as she kept to hold the goose and run faster. _Is he still there? _She fretted.

But all her worries proved to be nothing as she spotted a shape, dim brown, against a birch tree. A she got closer, the cat perked up, dark yellow shinning in the night's wind.

"Hey there, Holly," Coves greeted.

She flicked his ear in an affectionate way and set down her prey.

"Wow! You sure are a good hunter! And I wanted to show off my moves..." he chuckled.

"Thanks, but you're on the mend," Hollyleaf's insides winced at how close she was to killing her own mate. She was very sensitive about that, not only because of the violence, but she was worried if he would dump her if she went beserk again at the sound of Leafpool's name. _Grrr.... Leafpool..._

She didn't notice her bristling until it was too late.

'You okay?" he asked her. Hollyleaf made her pelt lie down again.

'Yeah, just a little cold," she lied, though she was a little cold, somewhat.

She snugged closer and went to sleep instantly, for she had her part of the goose. The last thing that she heard when she was consicous was the ripping of flesh and her own contentment and purrs.

.........................

Hollyleaf opened her eyes to see the Windclan borders, but misty and murky, with a strange frosty tint. _Dream!_

"What the..." Then there were yowls and crashes. She spotted Heathertail, with her wound on her neck (She felt smugness inspite of herself), yelling battle cries before an orange blast barreled her over. With a jolt, she recognised Lionblaze. Hollyleaf edged closer anxiously and happily, as she knew that he would beat her and be alright, and that she would see him again.

"I'll kill you the first chance I get!" Heathertail was hissing, clawing madly, deranged, so much that Hollyleaf slipped back as her blows were fired ramdomly, Lionblaze not even attemping to dodge the badly aimed attacks.

"Well, this is your chance, isn't it? Then why aren't you trying?" Lionblaze said calmly. Hollyleaf had to admire his august. This wasn't like her normal brother. There must have been something wrong, by the looks of the change.

"I am, you mangled piece of crow-food!" she spat, and leapt onto the patch of grass beside her brother. He swerved and backed away. She growled after him and lauched herself to his flank, not a single drop of blood on the golden fur. _He must have only focused on her, _Hollyleaf realized.

"Look, Heathertail," he sighed as she missed once again. "I don't know what's gotten into you." Then he just trotted away to the rest of the battle, Heathertail staring after him in not hatred, like always, but somehthing else, and Hollyleaf recognised shock.

"Lionblaze!" a cat yowled, and Hollyleaf, with another jolt, saw Cinderheart's face and blue eyes. For one heart stopping second, their eyes seemed to meet. But she just turned to bite Leaftail's paw and let go when he was begging for mercy.

'And stay out of our territory, _rabbit _eaters!" she cried when he went, tail down, away.

_So this is why they are fighting, the squirrel wars are still on. _

But no, she was wrong. Way wrong. Because Hollyleaf just realized why they were fighting. What Windclan were fighting WITH. Low snarls erupted from the battle grounds and engulfed the fight. Black eyes gleamed in the darkness and the Thunderclan warrior cats didn't notice the new fighters they were up against, thinking that the reason Windclan retreated was because they won, but it was because other creatures were there to fight for them.

_Foxes!_


End file.
